Come Running Home Again
by BurnThoseEyesBlue
Summary: When an accident causes America to lose her memory of the previous two years, it's up to her and her friends to remind her of who she is, where she comes from, and of what it was that made her fall in love with Maxon Schreave.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, everyone! This is my first Selection fic ever, and actually my first fanfic in a while (so I may be a teensy bit rusty writing). I also never write in first person POV, so this story is a bunch of firsts for me! With that said... ****please, let me know what you think! I'm still getting used to writing in everyone's voice.**

**I don't own the series or any of the characters. This fic is set after The One but before the bonus short where America reveals she's pregnant to Maxon. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

I woke up to the sound of a steady beeping, and every bone in my body ached. Testing my limbs, I wiggled around and pushed myself up, feeling a wave of dizziness and nausea overcome me. I blinked and looked around. I was in a pristine white room full of technology so advanced I'd never seen it before. I was covered in a paper robe, and my room was empty. So, hospital. I rubbed my head, feeling a hard bump, and winced.

"Hello? Mom? Dad?" I called out, and the door opened to reveal a surprised and very-relieved looking nurse standing in the doorway.

"Your majesty," she said, bowing a little bit. I froze, turning and glancing behind me. Was she talking to me? "I'm very glad to know you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Wordlessly, I nodded, still not sure if she was talking to me or not.

"The King made it very clear he wanted to see you as soon as you woke up. Let me go notify him. I'll be back with the doctor to examine your head in a few minutes." She gently closed the door behind her, and I was out of the bed in a second, trying to figure out how to escape. But as soon as I stood up, my legs wobbled and I fell over, too weak and dizzy to stand up on my own.

The door opened again, but this time a face I never thought I would see in real life peered in at me.

"Prince Maxon?" I yelped from my spot on the floor. _Yup, that's it, I know I'm dreaming_.

"America!" he rushed to me and helped me up, and I stared at him like the fever dream I knew this had to be. "What are you doing? You need to stay in bed." The same nurse from before and a doctor stood hovering in the doorway.

"I don't have to listen to you," I said, ripping my hand away when I was back in the bed. "You're just a dream. This is all just a dream."

Prince Maxon looked at me like I was crazy.

"Er, your highness," I tacked on.

"America," Maxon said slowly. "This isn't funny."

"I'm not laughing!" I said. I pinched my arm and squeezed my eyes shut. But when I opened them, I was still lying in the same hospital bed, with the prince sitting at my bedside.

I felt my breathing hitch up a notch. "Where's my dad? Where's May? What's going on?"

"I thought you said she was fine," Prince Maxon all but spat to the doctors, and I shrank back.

The nurse shrugged helplessly. "Your majesty - "

"Allow us to finish our examination," the doctor said quietly. "She may have hit her head harder than we initially thought."

The prince looked at me with some unspeakable pain in his eyes. He closed them and took a deep breath before slowly standing and walking out of the room. He didn't look back.

The doctor and nurse let him pass and then were instantly in my face, shining lights in my eyes and lightly touching the bump on my head. They asked me all sorts of questions. What was my name? Who was king? Where did I live?

I answered to the best of my ability. My name - America Singer. The king and queen - Clarkson and Amberly Schreave. Home - Carolina. I added that I was a Five, even though they didn't ask.

The doctor and nurse exchanged an unhappy look, and besides the bump on my head, said I was physically fine. Apparently I'd been unconscious for almost a day, which explained why I felt so stiff and wobbly. They gave me a shot that instantly boosted my energy, and when I stood up I felt like myself except for a slight ache in my head.

The doctor mumbled something about reporting to the king and vanished, leaving the nurse to assist me back into bed.

"How did I get here?" I asked.

"I believe you tripped down the stairs, your majesty," she said. "You tripped over your dress."

I shrugged. That did kind of sound like me. But what dress?

"Please explain to me what's going on," I said. "Why am I in the castle? Was that really _the_ Maxon Schreave? Why does everyone keep calling me your majesty? You know, I still haven't ruled out that this is all just a dream."

The nurse hesitated. "Your majesty-"

"America."

She hesitated. "America," she said finally. "I don't know how to break this to you, but we believe you hit your head hard enough to have amnesia. If I had to guess, you're missing a couple of years of memories. More tests will probably be necessary."

I felt the room start to spin around me. "But - "

She continued. "King Clarkson is no longer king - King Maxon is... and you are his wife, having won the last Selection two years ago. You are the current queen of Illea."

The room seemed to spin even faster, and it opened up and swallowed me whole. My vision went black.

* * *

When I woke up again, Aspen was sitting at my side, looking down at me.

"Aspen!" I cried out, lunging forward to hug him. He grabbed me and held me tight for a moment. He pulled back and held me at arm's length for a moment.

"Mer," he said, eyes seeming to drink me in.

"Aspen, you've gotta help me," I said, gripping his arm desperately. "The nurse - she said I was queen? And that I married Maxon Schreave?! I must've hit my head harder than I thought. Please tell me this is a joke."

Aspen shook his head. "The Selection was two years ago," he said, "and you won it."

"But... why did I enter?" I asked, still not getting it. "What about us?"

Aspen sighed. "I encouraged you to enter it. I didn't think you would win."

My mouth felt oddly dry. I trusted Aspen, and if he said two years had passed, then I would believe him. I worried I would pass out again. "My family," I croaked.

"Kenna had a second child. Kota is still an ass, as usual. May lives in Angeles too, but not in the castle. So does your mother."

"My father?"

Aspen lowered his eyes. "He died during your time in the Selection."

I gasped and covered my mouth. Immediately, my eyes welled up with tears.

"This has to be a dream," I said desperately. "I love you. Not anyone else." I couldn't imagine ever loving someone else.

"You don't know how many times I wished to hear you say that," he said quietly. "And I love you too, Mer," he said. He held up his left hand, showing a simple wedding ring. "But not like that. Not anymore. I love Lucy. And so do you, even if you don't remember. Same with Maxon." He pointed to my hand, in which a dazzling ring sat on my finger. I wanted to rip it off and throw it against the wall.

"I'm a guard now," he said, gesturing to his outfit. "I've been stationed outside your door for the past day. I like it here, Mer, and you really do, too."

I shook my head wordlessly, looking down at my hands scrunched in the blankets. "Are my memories ever going to come back?" I asked quietly.

Aspen looked hesitant. "That's a question for the doctor," he said finally, which made my stomach church with fear. He glanced at the door and stood. "I think the King is waiting outside for you. It's time for me to go."

"No!" I shot out and grabbed his hand, and he looked down at it in surprise. "Please," I begged, "I don't know how to handle any of this."

He looked torn, but he looked at the door again and shook his head. "I'll visit you soon when you get released. I'll try to get your family to visit. I'm glad you're okay though, Mer. Figuratively speaking." With that, he carefully tugged back his hand and walked out, and I was left feeling empty.

From behind the closed door, I heard raised voices, and I crept out of bed to listen, using the wall to brace myself.

I could hear Aspen's voice, as well as Prince - er, King - Maxon's. They sounded a little heated, but I couldn't make out any words besides my name. I heard the sound of footsteps growing distant, and then the familiar voice of the nurse from earlier.

"Could be temporary" — "Unsure" — "Two years" — "Permanent" — "America"

I was too wrapped up in the conversation that I didn't notice the footsteps coming towards the door until it swung open. It smacked my arm, and I yelped and tumbled back, only for one of my hands to be grabbed by the king. What felt like a spark shot through me at the contact, and I felt my breathing hitch. If he felt anything, he didn't say as he pulled me up.

"What are you doing?" he asked, eyes narrowed. "You need to be in bed."

I glared right back at him. "You can't tell me what to do," I said. Instantly, I remembered just who I was talking to, and I swallowed and looked down. "Your majesty."

I heard him huff, and when I peeked up at him, he was looking at me with a mixture of amusement and frustration.

"You're still you," he said, sounding a little more awed than I thought was necessary, and then he smiled. "My dear."

I wrinkled my nose up. "Don't call me that either."

He laughed. "How about you drop the 'Your majesty,' and I won't call you my dear?"

"Deal," I said. I stuck out my hand, and he hesitantly took it. The same spark as before was there. I was surprised at how at ease my body was around him.

But as soon as the teasing was gone, I tensed up, feeling suddenly awkward and confused. What was I supposed to say to him? I couldn't tell what was more nerve-wracking to me - the fact that he was king, or that he was my husband and had been so for two years.

I hesitated, and Maxon seemed to notice. He guided me to the bed, and we both sat down. I twiddled with my robe. "I must say, I'm not really sure how to approach this," he admitted. "Do you really not remember anything?"

I shook my head. "Aspen told me that we're married. That I won the Selection two years ago?" I looked at him for confirmation, and he nodded. "I don't remember any of that."

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"So you're still in love with Aspen?" Maxon said abruptly. I turned my head sharply to look at him.

"How do you - ?"

He looked a little sad, but mostly disappointed that I didn't protest his claim. "I know you, America. Even if you don't know me anymore."

I swallowed, determined to change the subject. "What did the doctor say about my memories?"

He looked unhappy that we were changing the subject, but he didn't fight it. "They said we wouldn't exactly know. We have to wait and see if your memories will start to come back. They recommended that we expose you to things that are important to you and were significant in your past."

I clapped my hands together. "Let's start!"

Maxon sighed. "As much as I would love to, I actually have a cabinet meeting I have to head. While you are, ah, indisposed from your duties as queen, we have to divvy up your tasks to make sure they still get done."

It hadn't really sank in before that if I'd married Maxon, the King of Illea, I would also be its queen. It made me feel a little ill.

"Don't worry," Maxon said, seeing the nerves on my face. "I'll give you a couple of days to heal and hope that your memories start coming back. On The Report we're saying you're visiting our allies in Italy for the time being to explain your absence."

I felt the sickness in my stomach grow at the thought of so much responsibility. He patted my hand, and when I tensed, hastily drew it back.

"Marlee and Lucy will be with you the next couple of days to help you with your memories. I think they'll be good ways to remind you of the Selection." I didn't recognize the names, but I chose not to comment on that fact. "But I promise I'll be around as much as I can."

I nodded, suddenly hopeful. "Can I leave the medical center now then?"

"Yes, Marlee and Lucy will be here to help you get dressed and start taking you around the castle. If your head begins to hurt again, or anything feels off, you need to come back here immediately."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Mom."

He snorted a little. "The nurse will give you some medicine for the pain when you leave." He checked the time on his watch and groaned. "And I really need to be off. I promise I'll make time to see you tonight."

"I'm looking forward to it," I said, and funnily enough didn't feel any twinge of guilt that told me I was lying.

He grabbed my hand again and pressed a kiss to it, bowing in front of me. "Until then, my dear."

I scowled a little, and he gave me a tiny smirk. Turning and walking away, he paused in the doorway for a moment. "America," he said, his face suddenly serious. "In the Selection you were the one fighting for me. I'm prepared to fight for you now."

I blinked, oddly touched, and forced a trembling smile to my face. He vanished through the doorway, and I could hear him say, "she's all yours, ladies" to someone in the waiting room.

Through the door flew one petite blonde girl, who threw her arms around me as soon as she could. I gave a small 'oof' as she hit me, watching as another blonde walk through the door. She was more subdued and was carrying a heavy stack of clothes, but she looked just as happy to see me.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" The blonde hugging me said. She pulled back and beamed at me, still pressed up against me on the bed.

I stared at her wordlessly, not wanting to offend her by asking for her name.

"King Maxon told us about your memories," the blonde in the doorway said quietly. "I'm Lucy, and that's Marlee."

"I hate to say 'it's nice to meet you,' but that's what it feels like to me," I confessed.

Marlee looked at me, a little disappointed. "You really don't remember us at all? Even now that you see us?"

I squinted at them both for a moment, trying to rack my brain for any familiarity. "I don't think so," I said slowly. "I'm sorry."

Marlee smiled at me again. "It's okay - I know you will eventually. Come on, Lucy, let's get her ready to go." Lucy walked over and set the clothes on the bed.

"Where are we going?"

Marlee and Lucy exchanged smiles. "You'll see," Marlee promised.

I swallowed, a little nervous already, but their excitement was winning me over.

"Then let's do this," I said. It was time for me to find out exactly who I was now and learn just what it was that made me fall in love with Maxon Schreave.

* * *

**This will be a multi-chapter fic. R&R please! I'd love to get involved in the fandom. :) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the late update! I recently reread The Hunger Games and got hooked on that, so I've been planning a couple of fics for THG too!**

**BTW, the title for this fic comes from the song "Katie" by Mary Black. Check it out! I listen to that song on repeat while writing these chapters. In the song, the lover dies, and there a couple of parallels between that sort of meaning of a lover going away and this story, because Maxon's America isn't the same one anymore, and that's something that may never come back. Or, at least, we won't know until the end of the fic ;) **

**Anyways, enjoy. Thanks for the great feedback I got on the last chapter, wow. Hope y'all like this one, too! **

* * *

"What about this one?"

I stared at the dress Lucy held up in her hands.

"I am NOT wearing that," I said. The dress in question was absolutely beautiful... and absolutely nicer than anything I'd ever worn before. Well, anything that I could remember wearing, at least. It was all shiny blue fabric and sleek edges. I was afraid if I touched it I would dirty it. "Do you have any... jeans?"

"Jeans?" Lucy said, wrinkling her nose. She and Marlee exchanged glances, looking like they were fighting back smiles, as if they knew something I didn't.

"Sorry, Mer," Marlee at least had the decency to look sympathetic, "but the Queen of Illea can't wear jeans."

Queen. Right.

I sighed, all the fight draining out of me. "Fine," I said, "I'll wear the dress." Marlee helped me stand, and then I took the thin robe off, feeling my cheeks flush in embarrassment.

I looked down at my body as they were struggling to get the dress all smoothed out so I could step into it. It didn't even look the same. I was bigger than I remembered. Still slim, just a little more full, like I'd been having more consistent meals for a while. Honestly, I looked healthier. There was an ugly knot of scar tissue on my arm. I gently touched my fingers to it. It was completely healed, but it was pink and ridged.

I looked up. Marlee and Lucy were both watching me, waiting on me to step into the dress. I touched my arm again and watched as Lucy flinched.

"What's this? I don't remember..."

"You were shot," Lucy said. Marlee looked at me sympathetically, eyes faraway as if she were remembering, and she subconsciously rubbed her palms through her pristine white gloves. Was she there? Was Aspen?

I felt all the blood drain out of my face. "Was there an assassination attempt?" I asked. "Who would want to shoot me?"

"Oh, no!" Lucy said. "The people love you. Maybe even more than Queen Amberly."

I found that hard to believe.

Marlee jutted her chin towards me. "It happened during the Selection. I don't know the whole story. You were off the castle grounds. They brought you back to the castle like that and sewed you up in the kitchens. Whatever you were doing outside of the castle, you weren't supposed to be doing it."

Maybe Aspen would know. I would have to ask him later.

I nodded, accepting Marlee's answer and stepped forward, getting laced up in the dress. It was heavier than I was expecting. Marlee stood behind me and twisted my hair up for a makeshift updo, and if I closed my eyes, I could pretend it was May behind me, braiding my hair. Lucy held up a pair of heels to wear with it when I was dressed but quickly switched them out for a pair of flats after seeing the look on my face.

Lacing their arms through mine, Marlee and Lucy took me away from the clinic, only briefly stopping to get a bottle of pain pills from the nurse. And then we stepped out into the castle.

As someone who was sort of-kind of seeing everything for the first time, it was beautiful, all high ceilings and sloping architecture. We seemed to just walk down endless hallways; I didn't know how anybody could ever find their way! Every now and then we'd pass a maid scurrying about who would instantly drop into a curtsy at the sight of me. A couple even expressed their concern about my... accident.

After one particularly doting girl dashed off, I turned to Lucy and Marlee.

"What happened to Queen Amberly?" I asked quietly. Lucy's comment about me being beloved by the people was still nagging at me. I couldn't picture myself ever being a more poised queen that her. And King Clarkson...

"The day King Maxon was going to announce the winner of the Selection a group of rebels snuck into the palace. They killed one of the girls in the Selection, countless guards," she swallowed, "and the former King and Queen."

Of course I felt shocked, and sadness, too, I guess. They were my in-laws, and I assumed that we'd had a good relationship before then, if I was the winner of the Selection. I voiced as much, and my two friends exchanged another knowing look.

Getting a little frustrated with the amount of things that were being kept secret from me, I decided to change the subject.

"So how do we know each other?"

Marlee giggled. "You and I were actually in the Selection together. We were friends from the first day and have been ever since."

I smiled and turned to Lucy.

"I was one of your maids during the Selection," she said.

"Are you still one?"

"After you were crowned queen, I married Aspen and retired."

Aspen. This was the girl who'd married Aspen. It felt like she'd struck me in the face, and I stopped in my tracks. Marlee seemed to realize Lucy had said something she shouldn't have and glared. Lucy, realizing her mistake, turned red and looked down at her feet.

"I'm sorry," she said, still not meeting my eyes. "I shouldn't have said anything."

I took a deep breath, trying to decide how to handle this. My heart felt like it was twisting in my chest, like she'd ripped it out right under my nose. But I remembered what Aspen had said when he visited me before, about how much he loved her and about how much I loved Maxon. I still didn't buy into that, but the look in Lucy's eyes before she realized her mistake had been full of love.

"I understand," I said. "Things are... different now. I may not remember them, but if Aspen loves you, and you love him, who am I to get in the way?" I wanted to be anything but gracious, feeling sick to my stomach at the thought of Aspen with another girl. But it seemed like we'd both made our choices, and there was nothing I could do about it anymore. Maybe one day I'd understand.

Lucy looked back up at me, relief plain on her face. "Thank you," she whispered. She reached out and squeezed my hand, and I forced a smile back at her.

I think Marlee could sense that we were still in dangerous territory, because she swept in and got us moving on our tour again. The gardens, a movie theater, my old rooms in the Selection. There was something almost familiar about the garden, so we sat there and waited for a while, to see if I could remember anything, but nothing happened.

"You and the King talk a lot of walks out here," Lucy said as we went back into the palace. "I think your first meeting was out here. Maybe you'll remember something when he takes you out here."

Nothing else triggered any of my memories, and my feet were aching by the time we got to the Women's Room. Well, actually it's called The Newsome Library, but Marlee told me I was the only one who called it that. But why, I couldn't tell you.

As soon as we sat on the couches, several servants brought us platters of food. More than enough for the three of us. I stared at it in amazement.

"This is all for us?" I said. "This would feed my whole family back home." I guess my tone was a little too amazed, because Lucy pushed the plate of strawberry tarts towards me. No wonder I looked healthier, if this was how I ate every day.

"Are there any other questions you have for us?" Marlee said.

"My family... Aspen said he'd call them?"

"We told your family about the situation, including Kota, even though you two are still on rocky terms. We're scheduling a visit for the next couple of days." It didn't really surprise me about Kota, but it did make me a little sad.

"Well, what about the Selection?"

"What about it?"

"I guess just tell me anything about it."

"Actually," Marlee said, "we'd like to try something instead. But it won't be ready until later tonight."

I narrowed my eyes, intrigued. "What is it?"

Lucy looked at me, excited. "Do you know how they always make a movie about the Selection a couple of years after it happens?"

I blinked, trying to fight back a groan. "Do not tell me they made a movie about me!"

Lucy giggled. "Not yet. They're still casting for it. But the film crew for _The Report _has been putting together a little movie of its own using a bunch of clips that aired from the Selection. It's not ready yet, but it should be a nice overview of everything that happened."

"And who knows?" Marlee said. "Maybe it'll be nice watching yourself live through it again."

Personally, I couldn't think of anything weirder and anything I would rather do less, but I was desperate for my memories.

"Maybe so," I said. A sudden thought struck me, and I whipped my head around to face my friends. "Maxon and I don't have any kids yet, right?!" I don't know what I would have done had I learned I was a parent then.

They both laughed at me. "Not yet," Marlee teased. Lucy winked at me.

We finished lunch after that relatively quiet, and when I was through, I pushed my plate far away from me, feeling suddenly exhausted. I fought back a yawn.

Lucy saw me yawn and frowned. "I hope we haven't been pushing you too hard," she said. "You are still healing, after all."

"I'm just a little tired," I said, but the yawn that broke free showed my true feelings.

"Let's take you back to your quarters," Marlee said. I didn't fight them leading me back into the heart of the castle, absently listening to their conversation. My mind was elsewhere - on Aspen and Lucy, on what my family was like now, on Maxon and the Selection itself.

I refocused as we approached my room. Several guards were posted outside the door to my quarters, and then down a little ways to another set. The guard nodded at me and held open the door.

"Welcome to the Queen's chambers," Marlee said, holding out a hand. I surveyed my room. It was full of deep rich colors and bedding so soft it looked like I would sink in it.

I jutted my chin towards a door in the center of the wall. "What's that?"

Marlee looked at me, amused. "That leads to the King's rooms."

"Oh. Oh!" I said, cheeks immediately heating up. Marlee did her best to hide her smile behind her hand.

"We're going to let you get some rest now," she said, still smiling. She started herding Lucy towards the door. "If you need anything, we'll be here. Just call." Lucy said her goodbyes, and then they were gone. I let out a deep breath, letting my shoulders sag. I walked over to the bed and flopped down, immediately sinking into the blankets. My earlier observation was right.

I threw an arm over my eyes, peeking slightly underneath it to the door leading to Maxon's rooms. It looked innocent enough, but I still felt my cheeks flush at the thought. Then I wondered about how much use it'd gotten in the past few years of marriage, and I blushed even more. I flipped over onto my stomach and buried my face into the pillow, determined to get it out of sight, out of mind. My dress got in the way, but I was so tired I didn't even care.

My last thoughts before I fell asleep were still on the door.

* * *

**Sorry, no Maxon in this chapter. But he'll be back in the next one! Hope you all enjoyed. Please continue to R&R! :) **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the late update. Work has been crazy busy lately, and I also went on vacation a couple of weeks ago. This is a bit of a shorter chapter, but hopefully you still enjoy. The next chapter has been planned out but is not in the works yet. **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"America," I could faintly here a voice say to me. "America, my dear, wake up." Someone grabbed my shoulder, and I shot up in a flash. My dress tangled around my legs, and I didn't go very far, flopping back down on the bed. I turned to look over my shoulder, panting, only to see a very surprised Maxon watching me, hands raised defensively.

"Oh," I said, feeling my shoulders deflate with tension, "it's you."

He raised an eyebrow. "What a winning compliment from my queen," he said sarcastically.

I flipped over onto my back and sat up, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, you just startled me."

"Don't worry. You needed your rest." He held out a hand, and after a moment of hesitation, I took it. He pulled me up, and I wobbled, trying to smooth out my now-crumpled dress.

"How long have I been asleep?" I yawned and tried to stretch, but this dress really seemed to block my range of motion. I scowled to myself. If I was queen, why hadn't I enacted a law to make the national uniform blue jeans only?

"Only a couple of hours," Maxon said, watching me with amusement. "It's dinnertime. Are you ready?"

"Yes!" As if on cue, my stomach growled. I felt my cheeks flush again, but he merely laughed, took my arm, and walked me to dinner.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Boring. Wish I'd been with you," he said lightly. Unexpectedly, that made my stomach flip and twist with butterflies, and I couldn't fight the smile that spread across my face.

We made absent small talk on the way. I was beginning to remember all the big hallways and paths to get to our main room, and Maxon pointed out a couple of landmarks to help.

"Did Lucy's or Marlee's tour help today?"

"No, I don't think so. Still me."

"That's a shame. Maybe you just need my touch on the situation," he said. I raised my eyebrows. "We have the video tonight, and tomorrow morning I have another surprise for you. But tomorrow afternoon would you like to take a walk in the gardens with me?"

"Yes!" He didn't look taken aback with my excitement for going outside, so I kind of figured it was a common occurrence for us. "I haven't been out there yet! Do we walk out there a lot?"

"You know, we had our first unofficial meeting out there," he said.

I wrinkled my nose. "Unofficial?"

He looked like he was fighting back a smile. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow," he promised. We were approaching the dining hall, and one of the guards in front bowed and opened the door.

Maxon released my arm and stepped to the side. "Ladies first."

I nodded my head and walked inside, skidding to a stop. I felt my eyes grow wide, and I put a hand over my mouth.

"Mer!"

"May! Mom!" I ran forward in a move that was definitely not queenlike and met my little sister halfway in a big hug. It was weird - I felt like I'd only seen them the day before, but my body was reacting like it had been a while since we'd seen each other. Based on the teary expressions my mom and May had, I assumed it had been a while.

When May pulled back, Mom came over and gave me a hug. I glanced over my shoulder; Maxon was standing in the doorway, grinning.

"How is my favorite royal brother-in-law?" May said, grinning widely at him. He came over and gave them both hugs, kissing the backs of their hands.

"As well as ever. I hope the trip wasn't too bad," he said. "Officer Ledger called as soon as she woke up and we had a full diagnostic."

Aspen. I looked around curiously, to see if he was posted anywhere around us, but if he was, he was out of sight. I felt a little disappointed, but I tried to move past it because my family was here, and the servants were ushering us towards the tables to eat.

I spent a lot of dinner talking about how I felt - no, I didn't remember anything; yes, I felt fine; no, my head didn't hurt anymore. I spent the other half of dinner just observing my family. Mom looked mostly the same, maybe a little more grey and a little less tired, but overall the same. May looked older and with a more slender face, her bangs pinned back to the side. She was taller than me now, even with my heels on by a couple of inches, and she crowed directly in my ear about it.

Other than that, they acted like how I remembered them acting. My mom was still a little exhausting to be around sometimes. She thought it was the utmost tragedy that I didn't remember Maxon and made such a fuss about it that the rest of us were cringing a little just thinking about it.

May, on the other hand, was handling herself with a newfound sense of grace and class that hadn't been around when we were both rowdy teenagers. She explained that she'd been trying her hand at acting in a couple of movies lately.

"My sister, the actress," I said affectionately. "Who knew you'd be the one to end up a Two? I bet Kota's real jealous of you."

The table went quiet, and everyone was staring at me kind of funny. I held a hand over my mouth, suddenly self-conscious.

"What? Do I have food in my teeth?"

"You think I'm a Two?" May said, laughing a little. "What, Maxon didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"America, the Caste system is gone. Well, in the process of going away." My mother snuck a furtive glance at Maxon. "It's still in the lower castes right now. Sixes and Sevens are officially casteless and in the catch-all with Fives."

My jaw dropped, and I whipped my head around to Maxon. "You're getting rid of the Castes?" I was awed.

He looked a little self-conscious now, too, but he gave me a smile. "Well, you're helping me, of course."

May laughed. "And you were so surprised at me being a Two, Mrs. One."

I guess the shocked look on my face didn't go away, because Maxon's look faded into something softer. "Marlee and Lucy didn't tell you?"

"No," I said quietly, still awed. "You'll have to tell me all about it tomorrow. Is it working so far? What do the people think about it? Why didn't you remove all castes at once?"

He held up a hand, trying to process, and I stopped my rapid-fire of questions. "Removing all of them at once would have caused the upper castes to resist even more. Some are resisting now, but overall it seems the lower castes overwhelmingly supported the movement. It's not a perfect system, by any means, but we're figuring it out. It was your idea originally, after all."

My idea. Wow.

"Just because it was my idea didn't mean you actually had to put it into law," I pointed out, and Maxon chuckled.

"No, but you can be very persuasive when you want to be," he said, teasing.

"Stubborn," my mother said. "She gets that from me."

I wanted to ask so many more questions. How did I come up with the idea? What specifically was I doing to help? How were the lower castes assimilating into society? But dinner continued, and all I could do was keep sneaking glances at Maxon out of the corner of my eye, still awed and impressed. I squirmed in my seat, wanting to get out of dinner and just bombard him with questions. Our walk tomorrow would be the perfect time to ask.

Anyway, during the rest of dinner, I learned that Kenna had had another baby, and that Kota was still on rough speaking terms with everyone else, but he was slowly coming round now that the castes were going away. And Dad - well, it hurt too much to talk about him. He was buried back at home, and Kota was living there now, too.

I also got the chance to watch Maxon interact with my family. He and May looked to be joined at the hip, all teasing and laughter and bright, affectionate grins. And my mother seemed to be head over heels for him, too. He answered her many questions about my health with unending patience, as well as endured her critiques of various things with that same unending grace. They both seemed to be comfortable around him (Mom almost too much), but it was a nice sight to see, that just because I was living up in the castle now it didn't mean we weren't still part of the family. And obviously they both approved wholeheartedly of my decision, which was something I hadn't wanted to admit nagged at me.

When we got around to dessert, the servant brought out the same type of strawberry tart that I'd had at lunch. I watched May's face light up out of the corner of my eyes.

"Are these - ?"

Maxon laughed. "They are," he said, still smiling at their supposed inside joke. I fought a scowl, getting annoyed at being in the dark on yet another strawberry tart joke.

May snickered and took a bite. "They're just as good as I remembered. Don't they just make you want to cry, Mer?"

Three sets of eyes were suddenly on me, watching with bated breath for my reaction. "They're good," I said, trying hard not to sound sullen.

May sighed, and even my mom looked disappointed. "Dang," she said, "I was hoping that would trigger something." I must've frowned again, because she turned to me to explain. "Your first date was earned because I didn't cry while eating these. You said I would, Maxon said I wouldn't."

"You also got a pair of jeans out of it," Maxon said, voice light and teasing. "I think you were more excited about that than the date."

My mother laughed, and the others joined in. I couldn't help but smile; now that I knew I wasn't at the butt of the joke, it was kind of funny. If only I truly remembered it...

After dinner, May and Mom had to leave, giving me kisses and hugs and promises to come visit again soon. I felt a small pang when I watched the gates close behind them. Apparently visits were few and far between, and I needed to treasure every moment I got.

"Don't worry," Maxon said, watching my face as I blinked against the hot tears swelling up in my eyes. "They'll be back soon. They both want to stay updated on your recovery."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. The tears successfully went away, and I turned back to Maxon with a somewhat forced smile.

"Now what, your majesty?" I said, trying to tease.

He studied my face for a moment and held out his arm to me. "What do you say we go watch ourselves a movie?"

I linked my arm in his, anticipation suddenly fluttering itself in my stomach. "Let's do it," I said, hoping the look on my face covered up my nerves on the matter. "You mean one of May's, right?"

Maxon snorted, and we started descending down into the palace.

_I really hope this works_, I thought to myself as we got closer and closer to the theater.

* * *

**Hope y'all enjoyed! Please R&R - it makes me update faster knowing y'all are interested in what comes next! :) **


End file.
